NQSC, the largest human city in the entire world.
Tall buildings climbed high into the sky and dug deep into the ground, joined by aerial bridges and tunnels into a complex maze of reinforced alloy and graphene composite.
The white monotony was occasionally broken by fake trees and grass in brilliant colors of green, yellow, orange and red.
At least, that's how it was described in the novel, but seeing for himself, Otto couldn't help but be disgusted by it.
The white hurt his eyes, the fake green felt too unreal to appreciate, the large screens displaying vistas of beautiful landscapes from the past were, to say the least, sad. They tried to cling to a past this world could never return to.
But again, that was the perspective from someone who came into this world from another, not one who was born here. In Sylas's memories, he could tell. He was once amazed by the same things he now hated.
'At least the transport is free.'
Traveling by the trams was probably the second fastest way to get to the academy.
By noon Otto was already standing in front of its imposing red gates and high walls made of hard alloy, which were a piece of architecture, even in his memories, he couldn't remember something like that had ever existed. It was the perfect mix between a medieval fortress and modern tech.
However, that was his biggest problem.
How the hell was he able to enter this fortress without being seen?
'God dammit Sylas, why did you have to be a criminal? You baffoon.'
If he knew better, Otto would be able to simply walk through those doors if he wanted.
The police and awakened function like two different units. Basically, awakened not really go around searching for common criminals, that was the police's job. So, if he wanted, he could just walk in and no one would notice. But he didn't.
He walked around, analyzing the structure of the walls. Searching for something, a gap perhaps, or a hole in the ground that could lead into it. Literally anything… but there was nothing. Not a secret entrance, or passage.
"Now, how do we enter?"
He looked at the turrets that were hidden between the walls.
"Those things would probably pluck half of me. Any ideas?"
He looked at Silk, who returned the gaze with a confused expression.
Then, she jumped at the wall with an expression that said "Just do like this, you moron."
"Are you dumb?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "I can't climb walls like you."
Now what? He had absolutely no idea what to do.
'Perhaps if I walk in together with someone or maybe if I dig a hole… What am I thinking? That's the stupidest idea I ever had.'
Looking at his thinking figure, Silk couldn't help but think he was an idiot.
Why wouldn't he just crawl along the wall? They were kin after all. Shaking her little head, she looked at her mentally challenging little brother, wondering what to do to help him.
"Maybe if I had a rope…" The bad ideas kept coming non stop.
Silk tried doing a funny dance. Jumping frenetically. Even tried to challenge biology and speak.
Still, Otto was too focused on his own thoughts to pay attention to her.
In frustration, Otto punched the wall. A dull noise, provoked by its fifteen centimeters of pure plate alloy. It would be impossible to break through or even damage at all.
"Fuck, do I have to turn myself in? Maybe if I beg on my knees they forget what I did. I am a sleeper now after all, the government can't afford to just throw sleepers like this, right?" He mumbled.
Silk lost her temper.
Using her web, she weaved a tangle of it and threw it at Otto's face.
"What the…"
Feeling the same tangle as before. Otto's body ducked before his mind processed. That surprised him for a second before he turned to Silk.
"What was that ?!"
She started jumping frequently, and seemed to argue back moving her tiny paws.
"I'm telling you, I'm not a spider. I can't do it like you!"
He walked up to the wall, pressed both hands against it, and tried to do it like Silk.
"See?"
But despite his intention to fail, his body had other plans.
His hands found an inexplicable grip, as he stuck to the wall.
Otto was stunned, and irritated.
Stunned because it was glued to the wall just like a spider.
And irritated by the smug face Silk was making.